Page 4 of Fear the Flames
I climb onto his tall frame and cage his torso between my legs. I grab another knife from my thigh, hold it to his throat, and don’t fight the arrogant smirk that now rises onmylips. We’re still shrouded in darkness, but his calculating gaze blazes through the shadows and makes my heart rate increase.
“I much prefer this position.” I place my free hand on his chest and lean forward to hover above his face.
“I can’t complain,” he says in a tone void of any anxiety one might have as a knife is pressing into their neck.
I ignore his comment and continue in my pursuit, “What does your commander want with the Atarah heir, soldier?”
He keeps his face void of any emotion, “Why would I tell you anything my commander wants?”
“You don’t know the Atarah heir, I do. It’s a rather simple concept to grasp if your brain can manage to work that hard.”
He tucks his tongue into the side of his cheek. “The heir could be useful in the upcoming conflict.”
“How?” I demand while pushing the knife further into his skin, but not hard enough to draw blood yet.
“You said you know her?” His right brow rises slightly, and his scar moves with it.
“Yes.”
“Would she be willing to meet with my commander?” A tangled ball of curiosity, anxiety, and excitement clangs through me.
I could have a meeting with the Commander of Vareveth—my father’s rival.
My father’s enemy wants me.
But what if it’s to ransom me?
“Not yet,” I say. His eyes narrow and he waits for me to name my terms. I open my mouth to list them, but I’m cut off by an inhuman growl coming from the roof. It’s a sound I’m unfortunately familiar with.
A netherwraith.
The deadly creature drops into the attic from the largest hole in the corner of the roof. They can smell human blood from five miles away and crave it more than they crave water. It’s a large beast, covered in thick white fur, with blood-red eyes. As the netherwraith grows, so do two curved horns on top of their head, and they’re sharp enough to pierce you if they decide to charge. A forked tongue hangs from its mouth, dripping in a frothy poison. It’s a beast of nightmares, as all the beasts that prowl the Sweven, Terrwyn, and Seren Mountains are. I scramble off the soldier beneath me and press my back into the wall while he rises to his feet. He unsheathes the broad sword from his back and a throwing knife from his thigh as his predatory gaze tracks the beast.
“Name your terms,” he states without taking his eyes off the beast. The netherwraith prowls forward with its sights set on the soldier. I slide against the wall and move closer toward the stairs. I need to get to Finnian.
“There’s a clearing where the Fintan River meets Lake Neera. Meet me there tomorrow night with a token of good faith, and we can move forward from there.” The beast moves past me, still dead set on the soldier.
“A token of good faith?” he snickers. “My minuscule faith isn’t placed in things many would deemgood.”
“I won’t send the heir to you only to be ransomed. Show me you’re willing to work with her, and I’ll be the judge of if you get to meet her or not. I’m not particularly fond of you so bring your charm next time, soldier.” I draw my eyes away from the beast and notice how close I am to the exit. I now stand directly behind the netherwraith. It’s the diversion I need to leave here without the soldier holding me hostage, but I can’t let him die before finding out what Vareveth wants. I throw the knife in my right hand; the beast shrieks as it sinks into its back leg. I turn away from the attic, sprinting the rest of the way toward the stairs.
“There isn’t a single place in this world you can hide from me, you understand?” His tone makes me pause at the top of the stairs. I crane my neck in time to see him raise his sword toward the beast as he crouches into a perfect defensive stance. “If you run, I’ll find you,” he declares, taking one last look at me before swinging his sword at the beast that springs in his direction.
“Come alone!” I call out while rushing from the attic.
ChapterThree
Everyone must have heard the netherwraith’s growl because most occupants are elbowing each other to get to the exit. My head whips around the room, trying to find Finnian through the commotion. It’s not the first time I haven’t been able to spot him on a mission, but the uneasy feeling that accompanies the absence of his presence never goes away. I elbow my way through the crowd and make my way toward the door. We’ve agreed to always meet up at our starting point rather than waste time trying to find one another in chaos—only when the missions aren’tthatdangerous. If Finnian is in danger, I’ll dive into the heart of chaos weaponless.
My body pushes against the crowd that’s moving toward the attic entrance. The soldier must be of high rank if several other soldiers are rushing to his aid. It didn’t seem like he would even need aid. He oozed a lethal calm that only seasoned soldiers master after years of fighting. Judging by the size of his weapon and his quick footwork, he’s definitely a seasoned soldier.
I lick my dry lips.
If he’s a seasoned, high-ranking soldier, then it won’t take him long to kill a wounded netherwraith. I must be out of here before he does. I don’t want to meet the commander while he’s surrounded by other Vareveth soldiers. I’ll have to get to the clearing early tomorrow to make sure the soldier arrives alone. I break through the threshold and use my shoulder to cut to the left of the tavern where we tied off the horses. A calming wave washes over my anxiety when I spot Finnian sitting on top of his horse that he already untied. The reins to my horse lay in the palm of his hand.
“I was about to come in and look for you,” he says while dropping the reins once I’m close enough to hear him. “A netherwraith?”
“Yes. A huge one,” I answer while swinging myself up. Thunder booms above us as a growl turns into a whimper, and then the attic goes silent. The soldier killed the netherwraith, and we haven’t even left yet.
